Please support me on Patreon, where you can read a bunch of extra chapters, not just for this novel, but for all the novels I'm working on. I upload at least 2 times daily for each novel.
Patreon.com/ThatGreatStuff
******
"Then... I'll leave the remaining time to our two newcomers. Please, all spectators, take your leave."
The orange mask extended its orange arms.
The stage around them swiftly vanished.
Once again, it transformed into the previous black alien space.
Aha disappeared instantly, like a puff of yellow smoke dissipating into the sky.
All that remained was a red gift package tied with a yellow ribbon at the original spot.
Aha departed silently, without even exchanging further words with Bochang.
In this dark and peculiar space, only Silver Wolf and Bochang remained.
Just as it had been not long ago.
The hacker girl seemed unsettled, her head bowed and breathing slightly labored.
After a moment's thought, Bochang asked, "Silver Wolf, are you okay? That... perhaps we should see what rewards our godfather left?"
"You can look by yourself; those gifts were meant for you from Aeon of Joy."
Silver Wolf's voice was remarkably calm.
Throughout the game,
Silver Wolf lost, so naturally she wouldn't touch the gifts. They were bestowed by Aeon himself.
Unless specifically designated to someone, who would dare to interfere with his offerings?
Only those seeking an untimely end might attempt it.
"Darn it... 'Aeon of Joy' must have been playing tricks on me! Can He truly claim not to have cheated?" Even Bochang and Silver Wolf could effortlessly manipulate the dice rolls.
It seemed plausible that Aha could do the same, especially with those Truth or Dare cards.
Silver Wolf suspected that 'Aeon of Joy' might have made up the challenges on the spot.
The cards themselves may not have had any text written on them at all.
"Did He intentionally let Bochang win?"
This thought couldn't help but cross Silver Wolf's mind.
After all, their relationship appeared quite extraordinary.
Unaware of Silver Wolf's suspicions, Bochang swiftly opened the red gift package. Inside, he discovered three small objects emitting a golden glow.
"What are these?" Bochang picked one out curiously.
It resembled a glass orb, about two to three fists in size, with interlocking golden circles inside. At its center, radiant beams emitted a blinding golden glow.
Below the orb was a metallic base.
Although it seemed somewhat familiar, Bochang couldn't immediately recall where he had seen something like this before.
Silver Wolf glanced at it and explained, "This is called Destiny's Footprint, a material used to enhance fate paths... By absorbing it with your fate power, you can make your Destruction fate path even stronger."
"Moreover, it's versatile and applicable to all fate paths, making it a highly valuable material."
"It falls under the category of priceless treasures, rarely available on the market. I've only managed to use three of these myself." Envy flickered briefly in Silver Wolf's eyes.
Had she not joined the Stellaron Hunters, the hacker girl would never have had the opportunity to experience Destiny's Footprint. Such items were not merely a matter of having wealth; they were often unattainable regardless of one's resources.
Whenever one appeared, even Aeon Emanators would go to great lengths to acquire it. Even if they didn't use it themselves, they could provide it to their younger family members.
At this moment, Bochang fully realized the value of the treasure Aha had bestowed upon him. He extended his hand, offering the Footprint of Destiny and said, "Silver Wolf, I'll give this to you. After all... we did obtain it together, despite your slight disadvantage at the end. Still, you played a significant role."
"Are you serious?" Taken aback by Bochang's generosity, Silver Wolf was momentarily speechless. "This is incredibly valuable, worth several hundred million Credits just for one."
"You're giving it to me just like that?"
Silver Wolf's bounty itself was only fifty-one billion Credits. This item nearly equaled a tenth of the hacker girl's worth, and moreover, it couldn't be purchased no matter how much money one had.
"Yes." Bochang nodded and took a few steps forward, placing the shimmering golden glass sphere into Silver Wolf's palm. "I still have two more, so don't worry about me losing out."
She carefully accepted this artifact of destiny.
As Silver Wolf gazed at the swirling golden light within, its familiar power seemed to tempt her, urging her to absorb it swiftly.
"Well... alright then, thank you, Bochang."
Unable to resist such a significant mystical gift, she silently tucked it away.
Looking at the vibrant and youthful hacker girl before him, Bochang couldn't help but ask, "Silver Wolf, do you stand by what you said earlier?"
"What did I say? Did I mention anything?" Silver Wolf rolled her eyes, feigning ignorance.
Taken aback, Bochang suddenly realized she was pretending not to understand.
"It's all your fault," Silver Wolf continued, "making me waste so much time. Hurry up, grab your stuff and leave!"
With a single tap on the floating screen in mid-air,
Silver Wolf summoned two shimmering teleportation portals, then holding Destiny's Footprints, stepped through one of them and instantly vanished, leaving behind uncertainty about her destination.
Bochang reached out futilely but didn't attempt to stop her.
"Never mind... Today has been overwhelming; let Silver Wolf have some time to calm down."
"I need to compose myself as well."
Even now, Bochang remained skeptical about Silver Wolf's earlier words.
After all...
"We're not really that close, right?"
"Wait... It seems more accurate to say I'm not familiar with her, while Silver Wolf likely knows me quite well."
Bochang vividly recalled that even back in Belobog, Silver Wolf had already started monitoring him.
"No point dwelling on it. Better hurry up and pack my things before the portal suddenly closes; that would be quite amusing."
As Bochang gathered his clothes and picked up the last two Destiny's Footprints...
Kafka observed Silver Wolf's disheveled appearance.
Compared to her earlier state, Silver Wolf now looked significantly more frazzled. Her hair was messy, and her complexion did not appear healthy.
"You're back. How do you feel? Did Bochang do anything too outrageous?" Kafka gazed at Silver Wolf with those captivating eyes.
The hacker girl responded grumpily, "I feel terrible, actually. Bochang went way overboard—have you heard of tickle torture? He acted like a mischievous child, relentlessly tickling me."
"And just as it was about to end, we encountered the Aeon of Joy."
"Both Bochang and I had to play games with It; it was utterly exhausting..."
As for the specific details of the game and the fact that her first kiss was taken, Silver Wolf preferred not to disclose these matters.
"The Aeon?" Kafka's eyes widened slightly.
"Yes," Silver Wolf agreed, "Fortunately, at the end, Aeon of Joy left something behind..."
"Speaking of... Kafka." The hacker girl suddenly fixed her gaze on the raven-haired elder sister, "You did that intentionally just now, didn't you? Selling me out to Bochang, well played."
"It wasn't my intention to sell you out; we were prepared for this before going in, remember?"
Kafka had already noticed the Footprint of Destiny on Silver Wolf.
Presumably, this was what Aeon of Joy left behind.
"But if you had used your Word of Power..." Silver Wolf showed no signs of letting it go easily.
Kafka shook her head, "My Word of Power is ineffective against him. Elio told me that as soon as I speak... listen, Bochang would recover... and I refuse."
"This must be one of his abilities, perfectly countering mine."
"At that point, you won't be the only one trapped there."
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Silver Wolf exclaimed.
Meanwhile...
After crossing the colorful barrier, Bochang did not return to his own room. Instead, he appeared on March 7th's bed.
Staring at the pink-haired girl lying beside him, clutching her blanket and gazing blankly, the still-naked Bochang was momentarily speechless.